Plans to address housing crisis tops SF's priority list for Mayo

Sinn Féin leader Deputy Mary Lou McDonald has today launched the party's general election manifesto for Mayo.

The extensive document, a central part of the campaigns of local candidates Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh and Councillor Gerry Murray, claims the housing crisis in Mayo has reached critical levels - with a severe shortage of affordable social housing leaving many families and individuals in precarious situations.

It outlined: "The government’s failure to meet housing targets has particularly affected rural areas across Mayo, leading to long waiting lists for social housing. Many people are forced into the overstretched private rental market or worse, face homelessness.

"Too many young people have emigrated because they cannot find a home to rent or buy at an affordable rate.

"If they want to live independently, they emigrate. Otherwise, they are left with no choice but to live with their parents.

"Over 13,500 young people between the age of 18 and 44 in Mayo must live with their parents. This is the reality, but it should not be the norm. The average age of owning a first home is 39.

"The government must prioritise the construction and refurbishment of public housing in Mayo, using state-owned lands and public-private partnerships to build sustainable communities.

"We have repeatedly highlighted that the failure to provide social housing stifles economic growth, limiting people’s ability to live and work in the county.

"The current reliance on Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) and rental subsidies is unsustainable. These short-term solutions inflate rental prices and do not address the long-term need for permanent public housing.

"Each year, approximately one billion euro is transferred from the state to private landlords.

“Sinn Féin proposes a dramatic policy shift toward directly building social housing, reducing reliance on large private developers and ensuring housing is built by local builders where it is needed, including in rural areas like Mayo.

“Sinn Féin is determined to fix the housing crisis."

In respect of the high cost of rent in Mayo, the dossier stated: "Rent in Mayo has skyrocketed, leaving families struggling to cover basic living costs.

"The private rental market has spiralled out of control, and this rent crisis has extended to rural areas.

"In some areas of the county rents have risen by over 50% in the past decade, putting immense pressure on working families, students, and the elderly, many of whom are now priced out of their own communities.

"Sinn Féin is calling for the introduction of rent controls to cap annual increases, ensuring rents are affordable.

Sinn Féin’s housing strategy also includes strong protections for renters, ensuring secure tenancies and capping rents at a fair percentage of tenants’ incomes.

"Mayo cannot continue to be a place where future generations are priced out of the opportunity to live and work in the county.

"The housing crisis in Mayo demands bold, progressive, systemic change. Sinn Féin is committed to tackling the root causes of this crisis.

"This means delivering affordable, sustainable social housing, implementing rent controls to protect tenants, and ensuring that students have access to suitable accommodation.

"Mayo deserves better and Sinn Féin’s housing policies will help build a future where every resident has access to a safe and secure home of their own."

On crime, Sinn Féin is insisting that communities deserve to feel safe and protected.

"However, we know here in Mayo that the reality is that many communities feel badly let down.

"They want to see more gardaí in towns and villages and to know that when they need help gardaí will be there to protect them. There is a sense that some response times can be extremely poor or worse, there is none.

"The blame for the current situation lies squarely with Fine Gael, who neglected the recruitment of gardaí for so long whilst resignations increased to decades long highs.

"People in many parts of Mayo feel abandoned by this out of touch government and they need to see urgent change."

The party also wants to address the shortage of student accommodation in Mayo which worsens the broader housing crisis.

Other key priorities outlined in the manifesto are:

* To ramp up investment in National, Regional and Local Roads. Including the delivery of the long-promised upgrades of the R312, N26 and N17.

* To reopen the Western Rail Corridor.

* To secure investment for expansion of Ireland West Airport Knock and Strategic Development Zone.

* To fast-track investment to increase beds and space in Mayo University Hospital, Ballina, Belmullet and Swinford hospitals.

* To genuinely lift the moratorium to ensure that all vacancies in hospitals are filled, and safe staffing levels are maintained in consultation with unions and frontline staff.

* To reduce waiting lists for mental health services including CAMHS.

* To ensure disabled children and adults in Mayo get the supports and services they need to enable them to fulfill their true potential.

* To ensure that the needs of autistic children and adults in Mayo are centred in all policy making.

* To secure Section 39 workers get the pay parity they have been promised.

* To ensure commitments to Retained Fire Fighters are upheld.

* 100% Redress Scheme for homeowners impacted by pyrite and a full public enquiry into the Defective Block Scandal.

* To provide a sustainable future for family farms and fishers by tackling the burden of bureaucracy and over regulation.

* To ensure all farming and fishing schemes run efficiently and fairly to guarantee payments are issued on time.